Idea Haec Mala
by How-not-to-do-something
Summary: When they won the battle, they thought it was over. Too bad the universe had other ideas. Rated T for violence and some mature content.
1. Starting Out

**A/N: Alrighty folks, here we are with a new story! One I was originally not planning on writing.**

**I've been having a… thing… as of late, which as many of you noticed means I haven't updated squat in a while. It's nothing to worry about, I'm just trying to get myself going again. So what better than a sequel to my most successful story?**

**I do not own Stargate or RWBY, those belong to MGM and Rooster Teeth respectively, no profit is made from this story, anything else you spot belongs to its proper owners, yadda yadda, you know this song and dance. Special thanks to KisaragiKei for proofreading.**

**This is How-Not-To-Do-Something, and I hereby bring you '**_**Idea Haec Mala.**_**'**

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It was over in seconds.

The fresh faced student, a kid with shiny new armor, talent enough for his whole team, and possessing vast confidence challenged the guest speaker for a spar, absolutely certain he would emerge victorious. His excited classmates supported the student, enamored by his skill and charm since the semester began. Twin warnings should have told him this was a bad idea: the devious smirk of his teacher, and the wide smile of his opponent. Both went unheeded in his mind.

A fearful yelp lasted until he slammed onto the training mat, his cry morphing into a whimper as his arm was twisted behind his back, a firm knee planting itself on his spine for a solid finisher. An arm swiftly wrapping around his neck in a classic chokehold was just rubbing salt in the wound. When he groaned plaintively, his face slapped the firm surface a second after the hold was released. The teen's entire body followed suit, going limp from the swift yet merciless duel he subjected himself to. Meanwhile his opponent just stood up to wipe her hands on her tracksuit.

"And that's how you disable your opponent unarmed." she announced with a small curtsy, smiling at the couple dozen student watching in awe. That done, she stepped aside and used a lone shoe to flop the challenger over. When he opened his eyes, he found a hand outstretched for him.

While the young woman yanked her numb challenger up, the teacher clapped her own hands as she returned to the forefront, planting her fists on her hips when she overlooked them. Her long tailed jacket swayed with her movements, rustling slightly when it brushed against her pants. The belt around her waist kept her coat behaved, as well as keeping her somewhat undersized shirt firmly covered up.

"Alright, hope all of you learned something from this." she stated, grinning as she jabbed a left hand towards a hapless student. "Oralie, what did Vermelho do wrong here?"

The girl she picked gulped. "Uh, he… charged right in?"

"Okay, now what about you Snow?" she switched to another, flicking to the side when the beaten challenger staggered before being caught.

"He didn't get a feel for his opponent."

"Almost." the blonde woman nodded, at last turning to the slumped loser. "Alright Vermelho, why did you get your butt kicked here?"

The teen in question averted his gaze, grimacing at the few snickers from his classmates. "I underestimated my enemy."

"Close enough." she crossed her arms, her long mane of blonde hair swishing when she gazed towards her class. "I learned this the hard way. There's situations when you don't have time to figure out a strategy, but that doesn't mean you can always wing it. Have a plan of attack, and find out what you're up against whenever you can." she lectured in an even tone, at last switching to the young woman silently waiting for her cue. The teacher's lilac eyes narrowed slightly at the couple suited guards standing by the far wall. "Anything to add on your end?"

"Just one thing." the tracksuit clad woman said, stepping into view of the class. Her short black hair shone in the unobtrusive lighting, barely reaching past her ears. "No matter how good you are, remember this: you're part of a team. Winning on your own doesn't mean a thing if it's just you at the end."

"I like it." nodded the blonde, bringing a gauntlet encased wrist up to peer at a watch. "And…"

A high pitched ring came from above, chiming thrice before going silent. At the sound the teens visibly relaxed, a handful beginning to head towards the doors before halting, either by themselves or because another student stopped them. The blonde waited just seconds for their attention to return.

"Don't forget, your reports for the Faunus Rebellion have to be on my desk by tomorrow morning. If I catch any of you cheating, well…" she grinned dangerously rather than finishing. A chuckle left her at the visible quake roiling through her students, cheerfully gesturing towards the door. "Alright, class dismissed."

Life returned to the students when they turned away, filtering into their normal social groups on their way out. Chatter filled the air, concerning gossip, the various assignments she gave them, and of course, the one sided duel they just witnessed. The formerly upbeat challenger was almost slinking away, despite the consoling from his friends and admirers. The four adults in the room stayed behind however, with the blonde in particular turning her head towards the guest softly walking to her side.

Once the door slammed shut, the tension visibly seeped out of both women.

"I so wish I could do that all the time." said Yang Xiao Long, sighing as she threw an arm onto the woman's shoulders. The guest didn't resist being drawn into a hug, chuckling as she embraced her sister back.

"Me too Yang." smiled Ruby Rose for the hundredth time since she arrived.

Thrumming from many students reverberated through the walls, and the twin stares of the stone faced guards didn't leave Yang, but neither sibling had a care. When they let go, a tiny wave from Ruby let her sister take the lead, twin footsteps from the bodyguards joining their stride.

"Think that was a little rough?" she asked in concern.

"Nah. Vermelho needs to get knocked down a couple pegs. He's good, don't get me wrong, but the ego on that kid is something else." the blonde replied with a shrug, swinging the door open; a bright glare from Signal's many windows replaced the gloom of the training room. A wave of sound from students, half again as many compared to just a couple years ago, buffeted the four strong group when they left.

Ruby paused before she moved on, earning a bemused look from Yang, and wary looks from the bodyguards. For a moment she closed her eyes, softly smiling as she took it all in.

"I missed this place." she murmured. A couple passing students saw the reflecting guest, but the teacher's shooing wave made them scurry off.

Yang chuckled before she clapped her on the shoulder. "C'mon, takeouts in my office."

Ruby opened her eyes and nodded, powering off after her sister. Students flowed past her on their way to their various destinations, silhouetted against the oncoming orange glow of sunset. Some gave her odd looks, most didn't bat an eye, but every single passerby either frowned or raised a brow at the guards a couple paces behind them. She ignored the unwanted attention, focusing on how her sister dealt with her pupils.

"Miss Xiao Long, here's my waiver for the flight course."

"I'm visiting my family over break, what about you Miss Xiao Long?"

"Wow, I can't believe Kyrie got taken down so fast!"

"Miss Xiao Long, can I get some help with fixing my sword?"

"Can you please talk to the headmaster about the offworld training course?"

Ruby gave the last student a thoughtful look while they ran away, brow creased. But before she could ask her sister about that question, Yang stopped in front of a nondescript door to pull out her key, opening the lock with a barely audible click. Just as she began to follow her in, a hand clamped onto her shoulder.

"Its fine." she stated, brushing the hand off; it didn't budge.

"Ma'am, we have to stay by your side-"

"Its fine." she repeated, this time shoving her guard's grip away. She twisted around to level a displeased stare upon the duo. "I'm not going anywhere, and I can defend myself."

The second guard stiffened nervously. "Ma'am, headmaster Ozpin-"

"Will hear from me if you keep being a pest." Ruby warned dangerously. "Just wait here, I'll be back in a little while." she finished, swinging the door closed behind her.

Once she was inside the office however, the young woman slumped against the door with her eyes squeezed shut. A drawn out groan escaped her as she sank downwards.

"Pushy, aren't they?"

"Yeah." Ruby agreed quietly, picking herself up to meander closer. "I know its their job, but just I wish they'd give me some space."

Yang's office had nowhere near as many decorations as Ruby thought it would; there were a couple mementos hung up (including her framed teaching license), but overall she added little besides pictures. Not many at that, with most of the frames set up on her desk. Snagging one when she sank into an offered seat, she studied the small photo as her sister plopped onto the tabletop, relaxing beside a stack of papers.

"Now that your watchdogs are gone, you doing okay?" Yang asked, leaning back. She turned about to fetch a medium sized paper bag and a bottle of soda, Ruby accepting the latter when she held it out.

"Yeah, just a little bored is all." she replied, taking a swig. "If I didn't get out as much as I do, I'm pretty sure I'd go nuts."

Yang smiled, though her expression was still laced with concern. "You're not pushing yourself too hard are you? You kinda look under the weather to me."

"Really? I shouldn't, just took a shot this morning." Ruby frowned. She gave her arm a worried look, though she didn't pull back her sleeve.

"Maybe its just me." Yang shrugged, though her expression hardly lifted.

Ruby let out a low breath, dismissing her thoughts. "So, how's things on your end?"

"Same old." the blonde tipped her head back and groaned. "Exams are coming up, so there's a pain I could do without."

"It's just checking papers right?" Ruby probed with another sip.

"Pretty much, it's just…" Yang cringed when she twisted around, letting her sister see a paper stack right beside her. A rather large stack by her reckoning. "If I knew teaching would have this much paperwork, I would've taken up freelancing. Heck, maybe I should've tried getting into the Fleet."

"Yeah, about that." Ruby scratched the back of her neck, grimacing. "A while back I actually talked to a few people who joined the RDF." she sighed at the look of wary curiosity Yang sported. "It doesn't get any better. At all."

"Figures." she slumped.

"Plus, you need to be in a uniform all the time. And you'd have to cut your hair." she added with a shrug, stifling a laugh when the blonde immediately gripped her long mane.

"Yeah, definitely should've gone freelancer." Yang shook her head, sighing. "I dunno how Weiss or Blake can put up with this stuff."

"I think Blake has her own assistants, but well." Ruby frowned pensively. "I'd say she needs them. Running the Black Fang is pretty stressful."

"No kidding. Last time I called her, she was up to her ears in meetings. When's the last time she left Menagerie anyway?" she turned around.

"Not since the last goodwill tour on Second Chance." the younger woman replied, for a moment glancing away. "At least she's in calling distance, even if she's busy most of the time."

Yang frowned. "Is Weiss still offworld?"

"Yeah. I'm not supposed to tell you this." Ruby warned first, although she rolled her eyes; she couldn't recount how much confidential information she shared with her friends over the past two years. "But Weiss is on Hebrida for another trade deal. The council wanted to send the whole diplomat team on the _Vale_, but its hyperdrive broke down again."

"I didn't need any more convincing, but thanks." Yang sighed dramatically. "When's she supposed to be back?"

"Another week or so." Ruby answered with a shrug.

The two women went quiet after that. Outside her office the muffled noise level was dropping as students moved on to after school matters, whether it be studying, training, or just relaxing. No doubt the twin guards outside were causing a stir in the rumor mill. But in the enclosed space, the only sounds were from a wrinkled bag of fast food, and the quiet sips from a soda.

Lowering her sandwich after one bite, Yang set her food aside and slumped. A sigh worked its way through her entire torso.

"Sorry for always asking about the big stuff." she quietly apologized.

Ruby sank further into her seat. "Its okay. I mean, there's really not much happening with me anymore."

"Yeah." Yang nodded slowly. Noting the look on her face, the red toned woman huffed.

"Are you thinking about kidnapping me again?" she asked, smiling when the blonde chuckled.

"Every time you visit. Shouldn't be too hard, just gotta fight our way to the Stargate and get out, and make sure they don't see the address." she lifted her head to smile, but no mirth shown in her eyes.

"Yeah, maybe with a Dust bomb or two to draw the guards away first." she played along, her expression a match for the blonde's. "We'll visit Pangar first, grab a lifetime supply of tretonin, then we find a place of our own. We'll call it." she sat up to pose triumphantly. "Planet Rose!"

"No way, its Planet Sun Dragon. That or Planet Zwei, we'll flip a coin." Yang finished with a heroic pose of her own.

Both women laughed, their act disintegrating just as fast as it formed. Countless times had they gone over their master plan, and each retelling had its own brand of crazy ideas. Luring guards away, a covert infiltration, even crashing an airship through the complex in Atlas, they went over countless strategies for this goal. They knew this brilliant escape scheme was never going to happen, but the thought counted. That was the important part as far as Ruby was concerned.

Once she quieted down some, Yang cocked her head to the side. "You brought the letters right?"

"Yeah, right here." the red toned woman squirmed when she dug into her pocket, swiftly withdrawing a heavily wrinkled pair of envelopes. Her sister perked up again at the sight. "Here you go."

Snagging the first, Yang pushed the top flap open to drag out a few pieces of paper, turning them around to read. The moment she saw the handwriting, she cracked a wide smile.

"About time Uncle Qrow wrote us." she said brightly.

"It just got here this morning, right before I left for Signal. The _Daedalus_ is heading back to Atlantis in a month if you want to write him back." Ruby explained lightly, smiling in anticipation. "I only scanned over this one, haven't read it fully."

"Okay, let's see…" Yang read over the letter, processing the words before she spoke. "Dear girls, of course." she smiled as she shook her head.

"_How are you doing these days?_ _Well I hope. Things have been pretty hectic here, but I'm doing okay. No serious injuries or infections since that one sniffle everyone caught. The bug swarms here are still huge, I've barely made a dent even after this long._" she paused to send her a curious glance. "Say, do you know…"

"Not really, sorry. All I know is there's a lot of them." Ruby answered, flashing a grimace; fighting Grimm should've inured her to the concept of those vampiric monsters infesting the Pegasus galaxy, yet she still found herself creeped out by them. Perhaps because the Wraith were obviously sentient, almost human in appearance, whereas Grimm were just animal-like most of the time. A silly feeling considering the exotic Grimm she'd personally seen, but she didn't know how to explain it.

"Oh well." Yang returned to the letter. "_I've made a lot of new friends here between missions. I thought Beacon attracted weirdos, but this city blows it out of the water. Literally. There's people here from all over Earth, a dozen planets around here, and of course me and Eliane, but she doesn't get out much so we forget she's here half the time. Weird how a place this big can run out of space so fast. On the bright side, I've gotten good at swimming. The ocean grows on you, get me? And you would not believe the kinds of alcohol around here._ Of course." Squeezing her eyes shut with a wide grin, the blonde lowered the letter to snort.

"Good to know some things don't change." Ruby giggled to herself. All too easily could she mentally picture her favorite uncle out cold, splayed wide on top of a pile of booze bottles.

Shaking her head again, Yang picked up the letter once more. "_Besides that, there's lots of folk here who need help, so I've been busy quite a bit. Its a lot like helping smaller towns outside the Kingdoms actually, just with more keeping an eye on the skies. The bugs are relentless, but so far they're easy to avoid if you know what to do. A lot of people want to fight back, and I've been hanging out with a few groups onto something big. Makes for some fun times._"

"Definitely sounds like fun." Ruby grinned, a moment before she flashed a frown. "Wonder why he keeps calling Wraith bugs? We have security clearance to know this stuff."

"Probably for dad. He doesn't know Uncle Qrow's in another galaxy, so this won't get him in trouble." Yang replied before switching back. "_Looks like I'm due for another mission soon. Sheppard and his team are heading out to see about a rumor on a man the bugs are tracking, and since that kid Ford is still in the infirmary, I'm filling in this time. McKay is coming with too, so I'm packing lemons._ Seriously?" she gave Ruby an odd look, who only shrugged in confusion. "_Rumors say these guys are supposed to be good, but I'll tell for myself if we find him. If he is though, I might find somebody that can keep up with me. Sheppards' too squishy and Teyla criticizes me too much. The less said about McKay the better._"

"How much more is there?" Ruby asked in concern.

"Not much." Yang pursed her lips, irritated at the brief length. "_I want to tell you more, but a lot of stuff here… I don't know where to even begin. This place is crazy, dangerous, and exciting in so many ways. I wish I could show you what its like. Maybe I can bribe Caldwell or O'Neill to bring you over for a visit?_ That'd be nice."

"_Teyla is at the door, its time to go. I'm not even here most of the time and she still treats me like a teacher handling a slacker student._" she paused, noting Ruby starting to wane. "_Love you girls, can't wait for your reply. If your talk to your dad about me, tell him I'm doing okay but it's gonna be a long while before I come back. Stay safe, and good luck to you and all your friends. With hugs, your dear Uncle._"

Yang lowered the letter to toss onto her desk, sighing at the same time as her sister.

"I was kinda hoping he'd come home to visit." she said wistfully.

"Me too." The way Ruby spoke, how she slowly glanced towards the plain tiled ceiling, earned a worried look from the blonde, which swiftly morphed into a wince of deserved regret.

How selfish she felt now, disparaging her teaching job and talking about new occupations just because of some paperwork. Either seeing the wider galxy from joining the Fleet, or striking out as a roving huntress to travel the full length and breath of Remnant. If she wanted to she could even start fresh at her world's blossoming new colony. All in front of her sister, cursed by the awful power she unwittingly took from its last owner. Yang could do whatever she wished; as the Fall Maiden, Ruby couldn't even go outside without being under guard.

No matter how she felt, Ruby sighed under her breath, then picked herself back up. She dove back into her pocket and retrieved another crumpled envelope, this one in much rougher condition.

"Here, its from Jaune." she offered.

Burying a groan, Yang took this letter and pried it open. One glance at the paper made her chuckle.

"You already read the whole thing, didn't you?" she asked slyly. Ruby simply rolled her eyes, not even pretending to deny it. "Want me to read it to you anyway?"

"Please do, I wanna see what you think." she invited.

Yang chuckled, smoothing out the couple sheets before reading. "_Dear Ruby, Yang, Weiss, and Blake. However you been? You won't believe what's been happening here…_"

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Deep in the bowels of Cheyenne Mountain, a visiting man was experiencing a momentous event. For him this was a milestone in his life greater than all others before it; joining the United States Air Force, earning his wings, being selected to join a covert outfit protecting all of Earth, everything paled next to this moment.

Slowly walking up the metal ramp with his cap in hand, the man's expression was one of unbound wonder as he stood transfixed, his awe filled eyes roaming over the statue before him. Almost seven meters tall, lined by chevrons and many glyphs of archaic origin, and shaped as a single large ring, this construct was clearly not built by human hands. Large clamps held the ring in place, each one thick and covered in cables, jarringly standing out against the black surface. The man needed all of his willpower to avoid gawking, his heart thudding in his chest when he stopped in the ring's interior.

Outwardly he was a model officer of the United States Air Force; in his mid thirties, the man's body was well built, his brown hair cropped short, and his form tall and disciplined. His dress uniform, emblazoned by a host of commendations underneath his silver leaf, was virtually immaculate. Demeanor alone betrayed his new status, his sheer wonder a world apart from the stony faces which greeted him since he arrived.

One of his hands gingerly reached out to feel the inner ring, the man's dress blues wrinkling when he lowered to a crouch. Looking at the alien made device in pictures couldn't possibly compare to seeing it in the flesh. A smile came to him unbidden when he felt the glossy stone, processing that this was real, that this was actually happening. He was now-

"_Colonel sir._"

The man jolted upright, his wide gaze falling on the plexiglass windows overlooking the room. Clearing his throat unnecessarily, he straightened out his uniform and made a move to replace his cap, only to stop himself a second later.

"_Please clear the disembarkation area, incoming wormhole in one mike, mark._" the loudspeaker crisply announced.

A nervous breath trailed a jitter through the man's system, striding away from the Stargate at a controlled pace. Yellow warning lights flashed once he cleared the ramp, with a lack of alarms informing him things were going as they should (so he hoped anyway). But instead of leaving the man paused by the blast doors to turn back, his expression one of wary intrigue. The lack of guards escorting him away was taken as a sign of approval.

When the Stargate unexpectedly clanked, he braced himself. In the blink of an eye powerful light sprang from the inner surface, creating a tidal bloom of destructive energy that was roaringly loud in the enclosed space. He breathlessly tracked the blast as it reached out, peripherally noting that it didn't reach past the yellow hazard stripes at the ramp's base. Just as soon as the bloom appeared it withdrew, sinking into a stable pool within the gate's interior. The entire process took seconds.

Steadying himself, the man took a moment to examine the rippling glow vertically suspended; light played off its surface in random patterns, seemingly brighter than the ceiling fluorescents. The light was stronger in the center compared to the outer edges, although the water (a wormhole he guessed) completely obscured the rear wall. It was simultaneously less overwhelming than he anticipated, and vastly more impressive than the reports described.

When a single figure left the glowing puddle with a wet plop, his attention immediately switched. This lone arrival walked from the gate at an easy gait, sparing a quick glance over their shoulder; a man he determined, a tall one with black hair underneath an infantry cap. He noted the SGC uniform he was wearing, the green of his sleeves and pants matching the black vest around his torso. To his puzzlement however, he spied a pair of weirdly shaped sidearms clamped to his thighs, the pistol in sight looking as if it had a large blade attached.

Next to appear was a woman much like the first man, save for her bright red hair and what looked like a bronze shield slung around her back. Although he wasn't entirely sure, the man felt confident that there was a small spear tucked under the shield, the twin edges poking out diagonally to her form. Right as she exited another woman strode out at her flank, this one possessing a bounce to her step, bright orange hair above an easygoing expression, and a compact grenade launcher attached to her back. All three had P90s hooked to chest slings he noted, although the ginger's weapon was held underarmed as opposed to the two handed grips of the others.

Last to exit the wormhole was another man, different yet so much like the others; blond hair poked out from underneath his cap, shadowing a handsome face. Like the others a P90 was secured to a chest sling, but joining the gun was one of the last things he expected: hanging from his belt was a gleaming sword, a meter long and half covered by a reflective sheath. The man's eyes tracked the blade for a moment, watching the silvery length jostle from his stride.

Once all four travelers were clear, the first arrival jabbed a raised thumb at the control room, and a moment later the Stargate cut out with an electric crackle.

Rolling his shoulders, the man walked towards the freshly arrived team as they left the ramp, a couple of them beginning to slump. First to notice his presence was the redhead, who's rapidly stiffening posture alerted the others. In the time it took him to cross two paces, all four were standing at attention with sharp salutes.

"Colonel, sir." the black haired man greeted first, his smooth asiatic features blank.

"At ease." the man returned a quick salute, watching their arms lower after his.

It was then that he realized how young they were; despite their crisp appearances, not one looked over twenty five. Combined with the odd weapons this team had, he wondered if they were really SGC personnel. It wasn't impossible the kids in front of him were visitors, but that didn't explain why they reacted as they did, not to mention their ensembles.

Dismissing his thoughts, the man put on a perfunctory smile. "Names Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell, I've been reassigned to Stargate Command. Pleasure to meet you."

Some tension seeped out of the kids, but far from all. The blond man stepped forward, delivering another quick salute before clearing his throat.

"Colonel sir. I'm Captain Jaune Arc, commander of SG-25." he recited carefully, pausing when the officer blinked.

"Sorry, Captain?" Mitchell questioned with a raised brow, looking him over. He could certainly buy this young man being a lieutenant, but a rank like that at his age?

"As of last week sir." he replied, a slight flush to his cheeks.

Mitchell was firmly unconvinced, but he decided not to press the issue. "So, a gate team. Think we might be working together in the near future."

"Looks that way sir." Arc replied, the others nodding. When Mitchell's gaze flicked over, the sword armed kid cleared his throat before gesturing to each team member.

"I'm Airman Pyrrha Nikos, sir." the redhead answered the unspoken question, her pose ramrod straight.

"Sir, Airman Lie Ren." spoke the black haired man, now expressionless.

The ginger put on a smile when her time came around. "Airman Nora Valkyrie, at your service. Sir."

Mitchell nodded slowly at the eclectic bunch. "Well, pleasure to meet you all."

"Thank you sir." Arc nodded. The ginger started to open her mouth, but one peek at the others made her clamp right back up.

"My position, right?" he asked, receiving several confirming nods. At this Mitchell smiled sheepishly, shifting his weight. "I've, ah, been assigned to SG-1."

Mitchell expected awed looks and a round of congratulations. For such a prestigious assignment, he couldn't imagine anything less. But what he saw instead was far different; frowns broke out on the team's expressions, exchanging rapid glances amongst each other. Arc and Nikos shifted their footing nervously, while Valkyrie glanced pensively to the blond for directions.

"Sir, were you told the news about SG-1?" Ren carefully asked in their stead.

"It's a demanding job I know, but they're the best of the best." Mitchell answered with a smile, that wilted upon seeing their uneasy looks.

Arc cleared his throat. "Actually sir, SG-1 was-"

Without warning a clank came from the Stargate, the inner ring beginning to spin when red lights flashed above their heads. A siren rang as Mitchell snapped towards the gate, catching SG-25 swinging their P90s around at the now active ring, a couple heartbeats before a half dozen rifle toting guards jogged into view.

"_Unscheduled offworld activation._" announced the PA system when ten weapons trained on the gate.

Arc glanced over his shoulder with a grimace. "Sir, you should get back. Nora?"

"On it." went the ginger immediately. Mitchell's split second puzzlement lasted until the woman grabbed his arm, her unyielding grip brokering no argument. He grunted when she shoved the Colonel behind her with only a hint of care, placing herself between him and the gate, while Ren sidestepped to join her. Right before the Stargate activated once more, Arc and Nikos took point for the quintet, and proceeded to astound him.

The blond pawned the cover from his sword, while the redhead reached overhead to yanked her bronze shield. Although there was a pair of Airmen in the way, Mitchell saw what they did; Arc jerked the sheath in hand, which transformed into a triangular shield half the size of his torso, styled like it came right out of a medieval painting. Nikos made a similar gesture, her small disc tripling in size with a quiet clank. Both put their shields forwards with their P90s at the barrier's flanks.

A flash of recognition swept through the Colonel, but he didn't get the chance to speak. The destructive bloom surged out once again to subsequently retract back just as quickly as it appeared, recreating the bubbling surface.

"_Receiving IDC__._" the loudspeaker announced, although neither the Airmen nor Mitchell's impromptu bodyguards relaxed. "_Cleared for arrival._"

The Colonel tensed when three new travelers stepped out, needing a second to realize two of the men were clad in MARPAT camouflage; Marines he recognized. Both cradled M4s, although the second was also hauling a shiny briefcase at his side. But between them was a sight which required a double take: a dark haired woman in a black leather outfit, a jacket or sash flopped over one shoulder, which failed to conceal a somewhat revealing top.

She scanned over the wary personnel in front of her and smiled. "Quite the welcome party. I'm Vala Mal Doran, is there a Doctor Jackson around here?"


	2. Normal(ish)

A wide stride, an eager swing of the arms, the excited smile. Her unzipped jacket hung open letting the flaps wave freely now that her vest no longer secured them. Every footstep created an echoey crack in the narrow halls despite the omnipresent background hum that never fully subsided, no matter the hour. Her wide blue eyes blazed in anticipation, wholeheartedly focused on her chosen path. All of this defined the young woman powering towards the conference room, passing various personnel with nary an acknowledgement.

She solely desired to witness the most exciting meeting of the year, albeit from afar; She didn't want to cross her new boss so soon after the big formal introduction. But for this event, she was willing to go to any length-

A hand snatched Nora's collar and she jerked back with a cry. "Let me go!"

"No." Ren flatly denied. He dragged the ginger away with her heels squealing on the floor, Nora's arms waving furiously at her cruelly stolen moment.

"But Reeen!"

"No."

Watching the duo from the wall she leaned on, Pyrrha sighed, lowering her arms. She stood up once the dark haired man reached her location, smoothing out her black shirt. While the rest of the team were down to their undershirts, Nora was in too much of a hurry to shed her jacket. She rolled her shoulders and watched Ren jerk his charge forward hard enough to trip her, tucking his purple hair stripe out of the way as Nora whipped around.

"C'mon, we're missing it." she begged, bringing her hands together plaintively.

The redhead settled on a patient expression instead of a frown. "Why do you want to see this Vala person so badly?"

"Because she's cool, and she's Doctor Jackson's girlfriend. Reason enough for me." she responded impatiently, grumbling at Ren when he stepped in the way.

"Did anybody say she was?" the lone male questioned, leaning to block her view.

"She's still cool though." Nora insisted with a growl.

"Wasn't she the one who tried stealing the _Prometheus_ a few months ago? Hijacked the ship, stranded the crew, and nearly killed General Hammond?" Pyrrha frowned in thought.

"She is, and there was no try about it. The ship was hers for almost five hours." Ren corrected.

Nora kept pouting, even as she slumped in apparent defeat. "Still…"

"You're gonna get in trouble if you try eavesdropping." he reminded.

The redhead sighed, rolling her shoulders together in preparation for what was to come. "Will you give it a rest if I help with your report?"

In the blink of an eye Nora was upon her, snatching her hands and jumping in place. Her high pitched whoop proceeded an enormous smile of gratitude which unseen to her, caused a pair of Airmen strolling down the hallway to halt and turn back the way they came.

"Okay, okay, calm down please." Ren stepped in force the ginger to halt her jumping, but there was no freeing her prisoner.

Nora squealed anyway. "You're my best friend P-Money!"

"Please don't, I hate that nickname." the redhead groaned.

"Now I just need a bit of Jaune's help, and this paperwork thing will be done and _done_. Then we can go chat with Vala! She must have so many cool stories, like Qrow, or O'Neill, or Carter, or Bra'tac-" She babbled on, heedless of her prisoner's slump; more than one 'assistance' with Nora's mission reports meant Pyrrha wrote everything but the signature.

Ren crossed his arms, no doubt considering activating his semblance to calm her down. But today there was a much more effective option at his disposal.

"Jaune can't help you, he's drafting performance reviews." he dropped.

The effect was instantaneous: Nora landed on her feet and froze, her bright smile turning into a grimacing rictus in one second flat. All her excitement shriveled up before her friends' eyes, leaving behind a look of wide eyed horror. Her grip went limp, freeing Pyrrha to back away and rub her aching wrists. The ginger's head seemed to creak as she swiveled towards her teammate.

"Performance reviews?" she squeaked.

"I overheard a rumor from SG-14 earlier, General Landry's orders to all team leaders. He wants to assess personnel status." Ren explained, briefly flicking his gaze towards their last companion. "Pyrrha's set, but for us?" he shrugged rather than finishing.

The redhead in question rolled her eyes. "You know as well as I do mine will be the harshest. We were on thin ice when O'Neill was in charge, I can't imagine Landry will be more lenient."

"Performance… reviews…" Nora mumbled, slowly bringing her hands up to clutch her head, sporting a look of growing panic.

"It won't be that bad." he tried, but failed to lift her spirits.

Pyrrha sighed again and took ahold of Nora's arm, dragging her off with Ren trailing behind. "C'mon, let's get this over with. I'll take you out for pancakes once we're done."

Unbeknownst to the trio, their leader wasn't in his office writing up reports, but instead was located in the same conference room Nora was heading towards. A predicament he brought down on his own head due to the newest SG-1 team member catching him the moment he was alone. It was for this reason that Captain Jaune Arc, leader of SG-25, and a proud member of Stargate Command, found himself wishing he missed his departure window.

Standing with his back to the plexiglass window, the young man drummed his fingers on the collapsed shield currently held against his arm, which he brought along for security as Mitchell claimed. Jaune knew that was an excuse; there were four guards just in his field of vision, and a dozen more could show up in under a minute. The guest herself was thoroughly searched by SG-12 before they returned, and she was vetted again once she was brought to the conference room. His presence was entirely superfluous, almost criminally wasteful even, especially in light of his own duties. No, the reason he was ordered to come along (something he should've contested) was because the new Colonel wanted to examine him in fine detail. Under his breath he berated himself for bringing out his shield.

When the visitor spun her chair around, he stopped. "Yes?"

"You're rather curt." Vala Mal Doran noted with a trace of either bemusement or irritation in her tone, he couldn't tell for sure. She was leaning back with one leg propped up, a hand idly twirling by her side while her cleavage was prominently displayed; he had the distinct impression she was inviting him closer. "Especially for someone as strapping as yourself. Are you frightened of me?"

Jaune didn't reply, shifting his weight only so much to remind himself of the holstered Zat on his thigh. He recognized the woman's type a minute after laying eyes on her, knowing that engaging her would be a terrible mistake. Severe enough of one without counting punishment from the higher ups. Not helping his mood was mild fatigue from ten hours of scouting across some uninhabited planet, concern over the paperwork that he still needed to do, and the slight (meaning skin crawling intense) anxiety over the inevitable 'talk' with the SGC's latest commander where he'd need to justify his team's oddities. The last in particular had him on edge, knowing his case depended on a call to the Pentagon.

"A pity. You act like the rest of them but you certainly don't look the part. Tell you what." her leg dropped when she leaned towards him, with his only response being his tensing fingers. "What do you say to you and me getting out of here? There must be something of interest on this planet, I've heard too many rumors about Earth to dismiss it all as gossip. Perhaps there's a nice spot to stay for the night."

Vala looked to say more, but footsteps from a side entrance caught both their attentions. Flicking his gaze up, Jaune noted the guest spinning back around, just in time to catch a familiar someone walking into the room.

Clad in an undone field uniform and sporting a neglected stubble on his face, the bespectacled man covered two paces before he halted. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Doctor Jackson." Jaune acknowledged respectfully.

"Daniel!" Vala exclaimed, rising to her feet with a large smile. She waved happily. "Oh it's been too long darling."

Daniel Jackson stuffed his hands in his pockets, expression twitching ever so slightly. Inhaling deeply, he pointed towards the arrival.

"What are you doing here?" he questioned tightly. The archeologist looked like he'd seen better days, certainly appearing to be more of an unkempt mess compared to the last time Jaune saw him.

Vala turned her cheek to him with a huff. "What, that's it? You don't visit, you don't call, and then you act like I insulted your honor. I'm offended Daniel."

"You tried to kill me." Daniel refuted calmly despite his deepening scowl.

"After you shot me. I'm the wronged party here." she waved off, which earned the increased twitching of the man's eyes.

The blond thought It'd be best to stop it here. Jaune cleared his throat, gathering newly acquired attention from the room.

"Sir, she claims to have an Ancient made tablet in the case." he said, pointing towards the silvery briefcase on the table, placed there by a guard after it was scanned for explosives or radiation.

"That's right." Vala proclaimed with a new smirk, crossing her arms under her bust (while facing the older man he observed). "I stole it."

Daniel had just started reaching for the case when he paused, sending a blank look towards her. "Beg your pardon?"

"This tablet, along with some other choice goods, belonged to a certain trader specializing in obscure artifacts. Now, what makes this particular tablet unique is what it leads to." Vala alluded conspiratorially, whispering quietly enough so that everyone in the room could hear. And beyond Jaune suspected, for not three seconds later; the office door adjacent to the conference room swung open, admitting two more inhabitants entering just like Daniel.

Taking note of Mitchell at the flank, the young man delivered a crisp salute to the leader, who gave a token nod to both him and the usual guards. A patrician face, a buzz cut, and a stern look in his eyes defined the man, reminding Jaune of his late grandfather though he could never figure out why. Unlike Hammond's sharp yet welcoming expression (at least before he retired), this man appeared to display an equal mix of disappointment and expectation to anyone he laid eyes on, as if he already judged whomever he faced and found them wanting. He had two stars on his uniform's shoulders, a fact that always made the blond nervous no matter who wore them.

Stopping at the head of the table, the SGC'S newest General stood up straight and huffed.

"Been here two days and this happens." he muttered, shaking his head before affixing a stern look upon Vala. "I'm General Hank Landry, and you interrupted my unpacking."

"Names Vala Mal Doran, and that's a shame." she replied with an insincere smirk. "Would you like to make a deal?"

"Depends, does it involve you leading an army to conquer Earth? This month's quota needs filling." Landry replied without missing a beat.

Vala grinned. "Ooh, snarky. I like it."

"About as much as I like having my morning coffee interrupted." he shrugged lackadaisical.

Staying quiet and unobtrusive like a junior officer was expected to do, Jaune tracked Mitchell moving to Daniel's side when he dragged the case over, halting when the bespectacled man popped the lid. Only once he reached inside did he notice the Colonel's presence, giving him a blinking glance.

"Doctor Jackson, I'm Cameron Mitchell. It's an honor to meet you in person." Mitchell held out an open hand, which the archeologist reluctantly took.

"Right, you too." Daniel creased his brow once he let go. "I think I know you. Weren't you the squadron leader in Antarctica?"

"That I was." Mitchell replied; although he smiled, Jaune caught a small wince.

"Then you saved our lives. Um, thanks?" the bespectacled man shrugged, unsure of what to say albeit there was no malice in it.

The info clicked: the Battle of Antarctica, where a trio of fighter squadron and a still damaged _Prometheus_ held off three times their number of Goa'uld attackers. All to cover SG-1 locating an Ancient Outpost buried underneath the ice, and then subsequently using the unimaginably old technology within to destroy the fleet of Anubis holding in orbit. While the other wings lost several F302s that day; Blue Wing, nicknamed the Grimm Tidings after their last operation, only suffered one casualty. Jaune heard the broad strokes while on standby at the SGC, but he didn't receive the full story until a couple weeks afterwards.

Hiding a thoughtful frown, he wondered about Mitchell's status. The Colonel told him he was assigned to SG-1, but he was a pilot too? And a squadron leader at that? Although the blond mused that wasn't unheard of for the SGC, given how Carter and O'Neill were certified pilots.

"Just gotta say, I look forward to working with you in the future." he finished, beaming despite an aside glance from Landry.

Daniel raised a brow. "You're going to Atlantis too?"

"Ah, no-wait." the Colonel's smile dropped, replaced by a sudden frown.

"Reason I ask is I'm heading out later today, you actually caught me in the middle of packing my things." he explained, before leaning to the side and glowering. "I didn't want a snag before I finished cataloging."

"Me neither, but I think you'll be interested in what I have to say." Vala grinned.

"And that would be?" Landry posed dryly.

Instead of replying, she gestured towards the case. With a sigh Daniel reached inside and withdrew a black stone tablet, errantly brushing the padding away and flipping it around. He stared long and hard at the object rather than checking on the others, disregarding Mitchell leaning close to examine the writing.

"Doctor?" the General prompted expectantly.

"It's Ancient alright. Looks like late era dialect." Daniel lowered the tablet, sending a frown towards Vala when he set it down. "Good thing you stole it, because this whole thing's gibberish."

"Its a code, and I have the cipher." Vala corrected, grinning.

The archeologist crossed his arms with a huff. "Then what do you need me for?"

"While you're at it, why'd you come to us with this?" Landry stepped back in.

Four pairs of eyes bore down on Vala, although one kept stealing confused glances at the civilian in their midst. Despite the simmering hostility she stood firm.

"The man I stole this tablet from was adamant that it led to a secret treasure here on Earth. According to him, there's a cache of gold, artifacts, and technology rivaling a System Lord's hoard somewhere on this planet. Now you are correct." she explained with a pointed finger, displaying a grimace at the admission. "I know enough of the Ancient language to decode it, and I could've parked a ship somewhere to look for myself."

"So why didn't you?" Landry questioned flatly.

Vala smiled. "First of all, my knowledge of your world comes from rumors only. Although they're fascinating stories, there's far too little to go on. Secondly, going to you means I'll have this riddle solved in a day instead of a year."

"In exchange for taking a share of the treasure, that right?" Mitchell spoke up, catching another glance from the General for the interruption.

"It's only fair." she shrugged.

Daniel huffed. "Yeah, no. I don't have time to decipher an Ancient transcript, my rides waiting for-"

"Doctor Jackson." Landry's voice froze him on the spot, inadvertently causing the observer to stiffen as well. "The _Daedalus_ doesn't leave for another eighteen hours, you can get a head start on this tablet."

"I see we have a deal." Vala smirked, heedless of him sucking in a breath through clenched teeth.

"Oh for…" Daniel rubbed his brow as the woman arose to skip towards him, bringing her hands together to beam. Although the blond did catch her peering at the case with a momentarily narrowed gaze; Jaune sensed there was something else inside, but he doubted it was dangerous.

But when the archeologist reached for the case, a hand beat him to it.

"Doctor Jackson, how about I accompany you?" Mitchell suggested insistently.

"Why?" Daniel asked flatly, sparing a sour look towards a shrugging Vala.

"I'd like to talk to you about an important matter." the man began. Whatever his plan was, Landry's cleared throat put an end to it.

"How about you take a tour of the SGC first Colonel, seeing as you'll be staying here a while." the General offered, although his tone held a commanding edge.

"But sir-" Mitchell tried to protest, but one look silenced him.

"I'll speak to you later. In the meantime." Landry swiveled towards the guards, but when he reached the blond he did a double take, refocusing on him with a raised brow. "Who are you?"

Feeling beads of sweat on his forehead, Jaune gave him a quick salute. "Captain Jaune Arc of SG-25, sir."

"Arc." Landry repeated, breaking his blank stare only to flick towards his arm.

"Yes sir." he nodded, hoping his nervousness wasn't too obvious. Based on the odd look from the Colonel, he suspected that he was failing miserably.

"How old are you?" he probed with a frown.

"Twenty two sir." he answered promptly, squeezing a fist to steady himself.

"And… you're a Captain." Landry said disbelievingly. The General looked outright lost at his answer, until his expression suddenly wrinkled. "Let me guess, Jack."

He repeated with a quick nod. "Yes sir."

"Of course, probably didn't even look at the report…" he muttered, rolling his eyes before affixing him yet again. "Okay then kid, now why are you here?"

Mitchell's cleared throat saved him from reprisal. "That was my doing sir, I ordered Arc to accompany me in guarding Miss Mal Doran here."

"Well, isn't that flattering." Vala waved an arm, causing Daniel to grumble dangerously.

Landry was silent for a moment, pursing his lips ever so slightly in thought. Jaune didn't make a peep, mentally going over a rough script in his head for this exact occasion, and hoping he would be permitted a phone call. To this day he didn't fully grasp why O'Neill reversed his stance on his team's inclusion, but he wasn't going to complain.

At last the General let his shoulders sag. "Fine, you're it. Arc, show Mitchell around the place. I need to go over some things it seems."

"Yes sir." Jaune nodded shakily, forcing himself to stay together. A quick swallow removed the lump in his throat by the time he glanced aside. "If you'll follow me sir."

Mitchell flashed a grimace, but he walked away without further prompting. Together, Jaune led them out of the conference room and towards the lower levels, both men silent compared to the background chatter in every direction.

The blond felt eyes boring into his back when he passed the control room, picking out Walter's distinctive voice over the constant humming. He knew he should've been pointing at things as they passed, being a helpful tour guide for the newcomer (and superior officer), but he held his tongue; Jaune knew he was due for a question and answer session, whether he wanted to or not. Sensing the Colonel moving to his flank, he slowed his pace enough to match his, peripherally discovering the halls were clearing somewhat. Enough for a conversation at least.

"So, Arc." Mitchell began, eyeing him carefully.

"Yes sir?" Jaune replied. Taking a left down a secondary corridor, he made his way towards his team's usual armory.

He scrunched up his features, releasing a quiet sigh. "I got a ton of questions, but for now, I'll just say I'm sorry about back there."

"It's no problem sir." he lied.

"I just…" Mitchell hesitated, his gaze fell on the blond's arm. "You don't happen to know about SG-1, do you?"

Now it was Jaune's turn to hesitate, clearing his throat before halting at a small alcove. Sparing a quick glance around, he faced the Colonel's wary look and smoothed out his expression.

"Colonel Mitchell, I was gonna tell you this in the Gate Room, but… SG-1's been unofficially disbanded." he stated flatly.

The older man blinked repeatedly. "Disbanded."

"Yes sir."

"For how long?" he questioned, crestfallen.

"Their last mission was almost six months ago sir. Doctor Jackson's been petitioning for a reassignment to Atlantis, he was just approved two weeks ago. As you heard." the blond explained, going quiet when a man in a lab coat bustled past mumbling under his breath.

"Lieutenant Colonel Carter? Teal'c?" Mitchell asked insistently, unlike him paying no mind to his surroundings.

"Colonel Carter was put in command of Area 51's R&D division sir, I'm not privy to the details." he replied, watching his expression fall. "Teal'c left the program over a month ago, last I checked he's on Dakara helping run the Free Jaffa Nation."

The Colonel expression was hollow. "So… SG-1 is…"

"Just you sir." he finished, feeling a wince when the Colonel turned away.

Mitchell didn't cry or break down, nothing so dramatic. But the blond could see his desolation; the man turned from him, almost letting his cover drop to the floor while he gripped his face. His breath left in short and fast hisses, gritting his teeth while his fingers squeezed together, hard enough to leave red imprints that faded quickly. His other fist clenched, almost shaking despite forcing himself to be still. For a moment he feared the older man would throw a punch, whether towards the wall or him, but he visibly reined in the impulse.

"You've gotta be kidding me." he mumbled under his breath, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. "Went through hell just to walk again, and now…"

"I'm sorry sir." he offered sympathetically. There was little he could do besides apologize.

Mitchell ended up slumping his shoulders, shaking away his pained grimace. "Alright, alright. Just… show me around for now."

"Yes sir, I just need to visit the armory for a minute. Have to drop this off." Jaune patted the holster for emphasis, drawing the Colonel's eye. "A Zat'nik'tel Colonel, but everyone around here calls these Zats."

When Mitchell gestured with a couple fingers, he presented the weapon with some trepidation. "This is alien gun, isn't it?"

"Yes sir. They're not standard issue, but they might as well be. The only thing an M9 has on this is range." he explained, flipping it around.

"I'll take your word for it." Mitchell nodded, waving for him to get moving. Jaune saw that he was still upset, but he was after a distraction from his woes, one he could easily grant.

Replacing the Zat to its holster, he just turned away when the Colonel cleared his throat.

"What about that?" he pointed to his arm, where the bracer was still securely strapped in place.

Facing him yet again, the blond steadied himself before replying. "This is mine sir."

Upon seeing no objection, Jaune jerked his arm; the bracer unfolded with a clank, transforming into a triangular shield large enough to cover his torso. Mitchell's eyes went wide, roaming over the presented surface in all its detail. Most of the shield was covered by an ivory paint, while the edges were lined by laminated bronze. In the center was his personal emblem of twin rising crescents, emblazoned by a slightly darker shade of bronze, the inlaid metal not quite thick enough to fully hide the starship grade armor segments underneath. No scratches or dents marred its form, the shield appearing almost mythical compared to his utilitarian outfit.

Mitchell whistled. "Impressive. Mind if I…?"

Jaune nodded, freeing his grip and handing it over. The Colonel gingerly accepted, fumbling with his placing until he too held it like the blond, his palm securely wrapped around the smallish handle. Tugging for a moment to test its weight, he presented the shield's face to the young man with an expectant look.

"Gotta say, this looks real fancy. Now how did you…" Mitchell trailed off with a small frown, raising a brow when he mimicked his arm moving. Giving it an experimental jerk of his own, the man jolted when the shield folded back up with a swift clank, becoming a large bracer yet again.

"What do you think sir?" Jaune asked when the man numbly returned it.

"Plenty impressed, but…" he pursed his lips, appearing to debate on his wording. "I've seen stuff like this before. Transforming weapons."

The blond habitually rechecked the shield when he paused, raising his brow towards him. "You have sir?"

"Yeah." Mitchell unexpectedly put on a tiny smile, pointing at him. "You're from Remnant, aren't you?"

Were he asked this question while outside of Cheyenne Mountain, Jaune would dismiss the inquiry and then contact Stargate Command immediately. A new security leak was bound to cause chaos at the base, an unwelcome but not surprising change from the quiet times of late. But where he was now, with who wanted to know, he didn't have to hide the truth.

"I am sir." He stated in as neutral of a tone as he can manage.

"Thought so, with that shield you got. I heard presentations before I came here, they're starting to phase some of that tech into public hands right now. H&K, Fabrique Nationale, and Berretta are having a field day with this stuff." the Colonel chuckled.

Jaune followed suit. There was a buzz inside and off base when the news came; many if not most scientists, Colonel Carter included, pushed for spreading the technology obtained from the Gate into people's hands. It proved to entrench their worth as the investment of billions of dollars were already showing dividends.

With the feeling of the tone letting loose, Colonel Mitchell gave him a small smile. "I read in a report that there's a… a team of you guys on the payroll. You're supposed to be stronger and tougher than normal people, and you have custom weapons everywhere."

"Something like that sir." he downplayed with a shrug.

"Base personnel have been calling you Jedi, and I guess it makes sense, considering what your homes like." he shrugged, going quiet for a moment when a couple men passed by. "I've been there you know. Well, flew there."

The pieces fell into place.

"You fought in the Second Battle of Beacon, Colonel?" Jaune asked with no small amount of surprise.

"Sure did. Lead Blue Squadron from LEO to that party." Mitchell confirmed, putting on a proud smile. "Made ace in a minute. Too bad the brass said those bird monster things didn't count, but those smaller fliers still did."

"Um, wow. Well, that's impressive sir." he nodded quickly, stifling his stunned expression.

The man shrugged sheepishly, until he raised a brow. "Were you there too?"

"I was…" Jaune glanced away, blanching.

_Snapping its jaws centimeters from his face, the Beowolf snarled as it struggled to get past his shield. Jaune roared back when he shoved it away, stumbling the lupine monster long enough to swing. One slash carved it open from the neck to the hip, ending its unlife instantly, but just as it died another charged through the resulting ash, tearing up puffs of torn soil on the path him. He sidestepped just in time, ears ringing from gunfire and explosions and a thousand shouting voices, and bashed the Grimm to unbalance it, and skewered this one too. No sooner had he inhaled a mouthful of ash did the ground shake, revealing a two story tall Deathstalker raring back just a few meters away with its massive pincers slicing towards him-_

"...there yeah." he answered, wincing at the man's raised brow.

"Oh, kay." Mitchell went slowly, showing a wrinkled expression for a moment. "So then Arc, the armory. Say, are there any more of, you know, those?" he gestured to the shield. "Think I wanna get my hands on one."

More footsteps swiftly filled the men's ears, but unlike the rest, this pair abruptly halted. A twist of his head showed Jaune an unexpected (but very welcome) surprise.

Lie Ren processed the sight in a millisecond, and saluted the older man. "Colonel, sir."

"At ease." he returned briefly, brow creasing when the dark haired man (clocking in at several centimeters taller than him) turned towards his leader.

"Captain Arc." Ren began, the barest hint of hesitation in his tone. "There's a situation, I need your assistance."

"Is it urgent, Airman?" Jaune added the last part quickly, facing his friend gravely.

"A Code NPP." he stiffly replied.

The blond pursed his lips, grimacing when he spared a worried glance at his new superior. "Its bad, but I'm in the middle of escorting Colonel Mitchell around…"

"Wait, a Code what now?" Mitchell butted in with a raised hand.

"It's a potentially serious problem sir. Nothing life threatening, but there could be severe collateral damage to the SGC." Ren explained flatly.

Color drained from the man's face. "That's not good."

"No it isn't sir." Jaune faced the Colonel and squared his shoulders. "I do believe Airman Ren can handle this alert on his own sir, since you do need a tour-"

"No way." Mitchell shook his head empathetically. "You go take care of this Arc, I'll… I'll just find someone else to show me where things are."

"Are you sure Colonel?" he pressed, briefly locking gazes with his companion.

"Yeah, its fine. Go." he gestured away.

"Thank you sir, control rooms that way." Jaune pointed as he backed away, letting the newcomer take the lead into the hallway proper.

Before they vanished, Ren glanced over his shoulder. "I'd advise you not to go down that hallway sir, Doctor Lee is testing the new gamma ray laser in his lab. The radiological alarms should trip if there's a problem though."

"Wait, radiation-" he jerked forward, too late to stop both men from powering off almost at a sprint.

Mitchell halted in the middle of the walkway, just catching the two vanish around a corner. His shoulders slumped a moment later, composing himself with a grimace. But just as he closed his eyes to sigh, his head snapped up.

"Wait, which way did he point?" he asked quickly, sweeping his head around worriedly. "And what's an NPP alarm?"

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_Colorado Springs, hours later…_

"I still can't believe he fell for that." Jaune shook his head for the umpteenth time, bringing up his ladle for a cautious taste; the tomato soup was too bland for his liking, necessitating a sigh and another pinch of spices. From the small table a couple meters away from his stove, he heard a sharp clank.

"Let's just hope he doesn't catch on, or else you'll get in trouble." said Pyrrha, setting down the mechanical contraption she was working on and checking her tee shirt for grease. "Still, thanks for coming to the rescue. I was worried I'd have to write her entire report again. Nora's Paperwork Problems are so much trouble."

Jaune chuckled, setting the shaker down to stir further. The scent wafting from his pot was filling the small kitchen with a delicious odor, fueling the rumble in his stomach. A distinctive growl made him twist around, laying eyes on the redhead and the vaguely M4 shaped rifle set on the table before her, and smiled at her blush.

"Hungry?" he asked cheekily, watching Pyrrha roll her eyes. When he killed the stove she dropped her tools onto a mat and pushed them out of the way, still being careful with the incomplete weapon. With that done she left her chair, making her way to the sink while he opened a drawer for bowls, digging around as she washed up.

A simple one bedroom abode, the apartment jointly inhabited by Jaune and Pyrrha wasn't much to look at by many definitions. A living room connecting to a kitchen, a bathroom, and a lone bedroom, the place had a soft color palette for its decor, emulating their long gone dorm at Beacon. A few framed photos dotted the walls, although most were just of their friends and family, each picture shot in such a way to hide their extraterrestrial origins. The only truly unusual addition to the apartment was a new bench beside the couch, laden by a host of tools and a bin of various scraps; there was a similar setup in his office at Cheyenne Mountain, although this one lacked the exotic materials the SGC employed.

In this place, they could relax. No worrying about Grimm, no threat of terrorist attacks, no sudden arrivals of enthusiastic friends or nosy family, and certainly no need to keep up the chain of command masquerade. There was no rank between them here, just casual wear and even more casual attitudes.

"How's the custom rifle coming along?" Jaune asked, pouring a helping of the steaming soup.

Grabbing a towel, Pyrrha brushed her red mane out of the way. "So far so good, think I'll have it done in a couple hours."

"Carolina is gonna love it." he commented, handing over the bowl once she finished.

"I know." she winced at the heat, quickly retreating towards the table. "She was making noise about arming the whole team with these, but it'll take them a while to learn the details. Until they do I'd be the only one who could fix them without going offworld."

"True. Think we can talk Landry into hiring a weaponsmith?" he too winced at the heated bowl, hurriedly replacing the pan before scooting after her.

"Doubt it." she shook her head, the pair sitting down to face each other as he retrieved spoons.

Handing the utensil over, Jaune plopped into his seat and looked on expectantly. "Okay, this is the first time I've tried this recipe. What do you think?"

Taking a spoonful of the red liquid, she blew to dissipate the steam as much as she could, cautiously sipping. Pyrrha swirled it in her mouth for a moment, until she perfunctorily swallowed. The entire time, the blond alternated between hope and fear at her reaction.

Thinking for a moment, the redhead smiled weakly. "It's good?"

Jaune immediately groaned, his face landing in his propped up hands.

"I mean it, this is good." she insisted, her open hand outstretched to stop him.

"Its bland, don't lie." went his muffled voice.

Pyrrha winced. "...just a little bit."

His hands dropped, displaying his wrinkled face when he leaned back. A sigh left him.

"Knew it." he muttered.

"You just have to use more spicing is all. And honestly, I'm not exactly a good benchmark." she tried.

"Yeah." Despite himself Jaune winced, recalling a chicken stew she made a month ago; for a time he feared his taste buds were permanently scoured.

"Don't be afraid to add more." she shrugged hopefully. "Just be glad you're not cooking something for my mother. She makes my cooking taste bland."

"I know." he shuddered, resigning himself to dig in.

Dinner went smoothly afterwards as the duo finished off the soup without further conversation. Once the bowls were empty Pyrrha offered to wash dishes, but Jaune shook his head.

"You finish that, I'll do these up." he said, taking the bowl.

Although if the blond was being honest with himself, he wasn't entirely pleased by her current task. Sure it was a gift for her mentor's birthday, and privately crafted weapons enjoyed a favorable reputation in the SGC; six different team leaders had one, with the most versatile being Colonel Reynolds' so called Semper Fi. They were seen as status symbols, a reward for valorous service or skill at arms, with the only real drawback being their maintenance intensive nature. Pyrrha's new creation was as much a masterpiece of design as it was a gift. But still Jaune slumped, methodically wiping down the handful of dishes with little enthusiasm. They were off duty, and she was going to be busy for a while yet-

A pair of arms encircled him by the waist, jolting him out of his woolgathering. He was unprepared when the redhead pressed herself onto his back, exhaling on his shoulder.

"P-Pyrrha-" he stuttered, squirming reflexively.

"It's been a long day." she spoke softly.

Jaune gulped, despite feeling a goofy smile coming on. "What about the rifle?"

"Tuning later, shower now." Pyrrha gripped just hard enough to twist him around, his hands still sopping wet when he came face to face with her sly grin. "I'm in the mood for a bath. Care to join me?"

Jaune's grin was as sappy as his feelings.

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**A/N: I was originally going to use Grimm Reapers for Blue wing's nickname, but I found out its already taken by a USN squadron based in Florida.**

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_Interlude, in a galaxy far, far away…_

_Run._

A lone Wraith sprinted through the forest, fearfully glancing over its shoulder the entire time. Branches slapped against its leather clad form as it dashed, exploiting its superhuman biology to the fullest. Its very survival depended on escaping.

How this Loner ended up in this situation was as simple as it was baffling: humans from the forever accursed Atlantis were on the planet below, interlopers who arrogantly made a den in the Lantean Capital.

Arriving to this world via portal, on foot, they were too tempting to resist. The Queen gave it and a band of warriors a simple order to capture them, sending the hunters down via Dart. Striking back at their old foes' children was one thing, but potentially finding their home world, an untouched place rumored to contain billions of delicious morsels, was another. Loner felt great pride when the Queen chose it for this task.

But right now, Loner was cursing its luck. Especially when an exposed tree root snagged its foot, sending the Wraith tumbling into a dried up riverbed with a snarl. Landing with a thump, Loner backed under cover of a dead log, listening intently: shouts and trampled branches reached its ears, from the other members of the human party. Quite unlike the demon in their midst, even though they slew half of the warriors in a hail of gunfire. Pressing itself against the soft earth, the Wraith made as little noise as possible.

Heart thudding in its chest, Loner listened to the human voices rising, coming closer… then fading. Its eyes were wide open, swiveling all over the green and brown of its hiding place.

Loner wasn't about to rule out a trap, for ever since those humans from Terra came to Pegasus there had been one unwelcome surprise after another. Hated Atlantis rising from the waves, a Hive destroyed in nuclear fire, a Cruiser blatantly stolen, a warship rivaling the Wraith's mightiest vessels laying low an entire armada, there was no end to their accomplishments. Loner knew it should be terrified of the Queen's wrath, but at the moment it only cared about staying alive.

When the voices subsided into the background, Loner cautiously crawled out of its hiding place. Breathing slowly, the Wraith swept its head around in a full circle, its white locks swaying with the movement. Nothing. Standing up fully, Loner checked again to find itself alone, not even wildlife in its vicinity. So why did it feel eyes crawling on its skin?

Loner turned around… and came face to face with the Demon. Sloppily dressed, unkempt, and leaning a blue splattered sword on his shoulder, the human smirked at the Wraith's dropped jaw.

"Hi there." greeted Qrow Brawen. A split second later his sword's point drove through the Wraith's chest, severing its spine before it could make a sound. With a flourish he ripped the blade out, sending a spray of hot blue blood raining on the dirt.

Retrieving a rag, Qrow turned to sedately walk towards Sheppard's position, wiping off his blade as Loner died wondering where that monster came from.


	3. Getting back in the Groove

**A/N: So… I don't have an excuse here. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter.**

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4:39

The room was dark and quiet. No voices, no movement, just the soft noises of two sets of breathing. The digital display glowed a soft red in the gloom, dutifully showing the time in the unlikely chance its owners wanted to see.

4:49

A snort, just a quiet hiccup of breath. A minor disturbance which didn't interrupt the enviable serenade of people sleeping.

4:59

There was a groan, an automatic noise made in response to someone awakening from well established habit.

5:00

Wake up time.

Shrill beeping suddenly filled the room, coming from an alarm clock on the nightstand. It was loud and annoying, wailing its baleful cry without respite or concern. Not even a rattle from a hand slamming centimeters away from its plastic shell could stop it. A second impact landing closer shook the device, with a third landing on its top facing, for just a moment muffling its screeching. The fourth succeeded, hitting the large button on top labeled "snooze."

Groaning into a pillow, the one who vanquished the noisy evil squirmed to his previous spot, attempting to return to sleep. That was until another hand entirely disconnected to the first reached over his limp body, feeling around until she located the switch.

When the light hit Pyrrha's face she squeezed her eyes shut, sluggishly wincing even with her bangs blocking most of it. Shaking her head so more red hair flopped in the way, she sent a dry glance to Jaune, who kept himself buried into a pillow to hide from the lamp. Another time she may have used care to rouse him, but at the moment such thoughts didn't cross her mind. A light sleeper she was not, and for her waking up was never an easy thing.

"Hey, time to get up." she commanded tiredly.

He dug further into the sheets. "Five more minutes."

Groaning as she stretched her arms overhead, Pyrrha sighed when she slumped, giving him a look devoid of mercy. In one sloppy motion she grabbed the edge of the blanket and ripped it away, throwing it off the bed entirely to land somewhere on the floor. He immediately curled into a fetal position.

"Do I have to?" went his muffled reply, sounding rather petulant.

"Unless you want me to drag you to the mountain." she suggested dryly.

Groaning unhappily, Jaune swung himself upright to rub at his eyes, as she watched uninterestedly beside him. When his hand dropped he grunted.

"I miss leave already." he sighed.

"Me too." Pyrrha nodded dejectedly, groaning as she crawled over him. She stumbled upon leaving the bed's comforting embrace, catching her balance before throwing her arms out to stretch, gripping one elbow after the other as she worked stiff muscles all over her body. Her grunts were somewhere between irritation and relief, letting out a sigh when both limbs fell to slap against her sides.

Jaune twisted his head to the right to deal with her distraction, reluctantly swinging his legs over the bedside next. He hesitated before dropping his feet, bracing for the mild chill that existed beyond their quilted nest, and the much greater cold waiting outside.

"I'll make coffee." she said as she walked towards the door, or rather shambled given her unsteady plodding.

"Omelette and bacon?" he asked as he slid off. Right before he stretched he remembered something important; he missed the button twice before he reset the alarm, standing up with a half hearted smile for his accomplishment.

"And jelly toast." Pyrrha agreed from out of sight.

Rubbing his shoulders, Jaune's slowly rebooting brain went over the usual recipe for breakfast. For a moment he debated on whether or not to try a new one he found, but in the end he shelved the plan, deciding that experimenting could wait for the next day off. In the meantime his stomach was rumbling, he craved a coffee fix, and there was a big event in a few hours. On top of that he involuntarily shivered from the lukewarm apartment air pressing against his skin, his boxers offering no protection; Pyrrha's cold resistance even when in underwear was a constant source of envy. Casting his gaze across the room, he snatched up a spare hoodie from an open dresser drawer, rolling his shoulders once it slipped on. With that done, he left the bedroom for his morning routine.

Placing the egg and cheese mixture onto a sizzling pan next to bacon, flicking over when the toaster popped up. Wincing at the hot coffee scalding his tongue.

A quick shower followed by teeth brushing, using the sink while distractedly helping with her unruly hair. Even as a shadow of what it once was Pyrrha's mane needed a lot of upkeep.

Putting on some nondescript clothes that served no purposes besides staying warm and blending in, making sure he had his tags and ID. Unable to resist a quick touch to his side, giggling as she slapped his hands away with a smile.

Locking the door behind him, and when Jaune looked up he found an elderly bespectacled woman slowly ambling past them without a glance. He still greeted, "Morning Misses Leah." to their neighbor, though she didn't acknowledge him. Ever since they moved in, he wondered if she suspected they weren't from Earth.

A cheap car purring to life in the February chill, its interior freezing despite the heaters valiantly blowing at max; the price of living in Colorado Springs, the town slowly coming to life as they pulled out onto the nearly empty streets. Something about operating a couple tons of metal that he controlled with two pedals and a wheel always set him on edge, although the irony of how ridiculously beloved cars were on this planet wasn't lost on him.

"Morning Greg."

"Good morning sir." the sergeant on duty greeted while he ran their IDs, looming out of his post booth only as much as he absolutely had to. From the passenger seat came a deep yawn, a symptom of why he was stuck driving in the mornings.

Waiting for the rifle toting guards to pass, he found them a parking spot, then he had to run their IDs again for another post. Rubbing his brow as they entered Cheyenne Mountain's well heated interior, Jaune didn't let himself bump into anyone as he muffled his yawn. Down one hallway, a left at the next intersection, and then an elevator down to floor twenty eight. It was only when he stepped out that he realized something; his expression went white as he patted at his pocket, fumbling until he felt a wad of paper nestled inside. Upon feeling his overnight report he sighed in relief, just in time for a vicious predator to pounce.

Gasping reflexively, Jaune stumbled from the massive weight slamming into his back, as well as a pair of powerful limbs latching around his thorax. Scraping off a wall, he slapped at the unbreakable grip in a vain attempt to save himself, heaving for air under its unyielding hold. Its deep cry went off in his ear, spelling his doom.

"You're late!"

He nearly face planted when the predator swung around, almost tripping him when she finally let go to skip. Coughing, Jaune grimaced as he steadied himself, slowly rising to meet his glaring attacker.

"Mor-ah, ow, morning guys." He practically hacked out the greeting, catching Pyrrha watch the brutal mauling without batting an eye. Movement caught his gaze before he spoke, discovering another base resident seemingly appear from nowhere.

"You're late, again." Nora stabbed a finger at him, pouting as she then planted both fists on her waist. "I was so worried you two got into a wreck. If you guys died who would've taken me to Wally's Diner? Huh? I told you that apartment was a bad influence."

"They're five minutes early today." Ren observed, arms crossed as he stared impassively. Both of them were in olive green slacks and black undershirts; they had normal clothes in their quarters, but he knew as a rule they stuck to uniforms in Cheyenne Mountain, just as he used to do when he still lived here. It made getting along with the personnel easier, they dealt with fewer questions.

She opened her mouth to protest, closed it, and then she stomped on the cold floor. "This sucks. Ever since you guys moved out this place has been so boring!"

"Nora, volume." Pyrrha gently chided with a raised hand, before her expression softened. "You know that you don't have to stay in the Mountain."

She winced immediately when Nora hopped in place, fists coming together as she beamed, eyes practically sparkling in delight. "You'll let us move in with you guys?"

"Ah, she meant you could rent your own apartment. Somewhere else." Jaune hurriedly stepped in, but even as he waved his hands placatingly, he saw her enthusiasm turn to vexation.

"But they're so expensive, and I hate those security checks. Why should I have to make a list of where I like to eat? Its dumb." she grumbled with a narrowed brow.

"Maybe Ren can move in with you? Share the costs?" Pyrrha tried pensively, exchanging a worried look with Jaune.

"But I'd still be under watch. Although…" Nora turned away thoughtfully.

Ren cleared his throat. "Guys, that briefing from yesterday's notice is in thirty minutes. You should get around."

"Yeah sure." Jaune whirled around and powered off to the men's lockers with Ren at his heels, barely catching Nora hounding Pyrrha as they headed to the women's. He was glad for the save, dodging the issue that bothered Nora more than any petty nonsense; when he first told them about the apartment she claimed this would divide them even more, and to this day he still wondered if there wasn't a sliver of truth to her words.

But whatever he felt on the matter, shaking off his musings while he put on his drab olive pants, he still had a job to do. As he tunneled his arms through his jacket's sleeves, he took a breath and promised to treat Nora to sweets later.

Ten minutes, a quick polish of his boots, and a bathroom visit later Jaune stepped out from the lockers in a solid walk, idly checking to make sure his silver bars were in the right spot. Ren was a couple paces behind him, the two of them linking up with Nora and Pyrrha heading towards the conference room, all of them outfitted in the same outfits. Along the way Nora twisted around after she overtook him, showing an uncertain look.

"So, whaddya you think this ones about?" she asked with her arms at her sides. Her gaze made him uncomfortable, but it was better than seeing her upset he decided.

"No idea sorry." he apologized with a small wave. "But I think its just a normal briefing, like what O'Neill used to do." he tried, shrugging to appear at ease.

"Before or after he had Harriman do the planning?" Ren asked dryly. At that Jaune groaned, remembering the time they took desert fatigues to an ice planet, and especially the way O'Neill went 'Oops' after they returned shivering and clattering.

"Say, you don't think…" Pyrrha trailed off, frowning as three sets of eyes fell on her.

"Think what?" Nora prompted, weaving around an Airman on their way to the mess.

"Its… its nothing." she shook her head.

"Spill it." Ren stepped in with his usual bland tone, checking his watch as he did so.

She wrinkled her features while she sighed. "I was just thinking, about what Jaune said after meeting with Landry the other day, and… I haven't spoken to him. Have any of you?"

"Nope." Nora shook her head while falling behind the others. Her posture and walk were straightening up, steeling herself for official business.

"I haven't no." Ren need only slow down enough to take the rear, showing no sign of his own unease. Only a flicker of his brow showed what he really felt.

"Same, but…" Jaune scrunched up his features as he sent her a puzzled look. "Hang on, you're not thinking he's gonna fire us, are you?"

"It's a possibility isn't it? I mean, we don't exactly fit the mold here." she defended anxiously, joining the others behind him as they neared the conference room.

"No way, we're too awesome to can." Nora pumped both her fists with her declaration, right before her grin faded. "Right?"

"It'd be madness to throw us out. Landry doesn't strike me as being that foolish." Ren offered. However, the way he pursed his lips was a bad sign.

Jaune twisted around to offer a hopeful look. "Cmon, we're getting worked up over nothing. I'm betting this is a standard exploration mission, Landry just wants to get a feel for running this place, maybe shuffle the schedule around. It'll be fine."

"If you say so, but I trust you." Pyrrha nodded. Showing through her uncertainty was an expression that wasn't entirely professional, making Ren and Nora sent her one of 'those' looks, a subtle reminder to stay behind their established lines.

With the stairs right in front of him, Jaune had no choice but to release a breath and ascend, forcing his pose into the usual disciplined stance the military demanded. He had only enough time to check on the others, giving a small conciliatory smile before facing forward with a blank expression. He trusted the uncertain frowns they had would vanish when the briefing started.

Coming out the top, he glanced to find the conference room the same as the last time he was here, acting as extra security to that Vala woman. But to his surprise he wasn't the first to arrive: six people were already present, clustered around the glass panes overlooking the Stargate. Though oddly the usual security guards were absent. A pair were in long ivory robes, both turning upon hearing his team's arrival. One look at the closest and he blinked in astonishment.

Tall, solid, and possessing a golden emblem which gleamed in the light, he put on a small smile as he tipped his head. "Greetings young warriors."

"Master Teal'c, its an honor." Pyrrha said first, sheepishly bowing her head. Nora and Ren copied her, while Jaune curtsied himself in a way that he hoped conveyed his respects.

"Likewise. It is good to see you." Teal'c replied in his familiar basso tone. The SGC's first ally appeared much better off than he expected him to be, with his stubbled forehead showing no grey hairs and his thick features displaying only a few new wrinkles. Flowing around him, his robes concealed his powerful bulk, giving him an almost scholarly air. The only thing missing was a weapon, either a holstered Zat or a Staff acting as a cane.

Jaune nodded again, swiveling towards the rest. Beside Teal'c was another Jaffa with wiry hair, this one he recognized thanks to a patch of mangled scar tissue where his allegiance mark should be; his name was Rak'nor, a pillar of the Free Jaffa resistance for many years, and for the past two an influential member of the new Jaffa nation, born from the ashes of the Goa'uld empire.

While not as inviting as his companion, Rak'nor still offered a polite nod. "Greetings."

It was then that Jaune realized who the others were, and with clenched nerves he snapped off a quick salute, with his team copying him a heartbeat later. The sight of them nixed his optimism in no time flat.

"Colonel sir." he acknowledged, receiving a blasé nod which lowered their arms. On his end the man in dark green camouflage and a blue beret stepped away to roam his eyes over the young team, making no effort to disguise his quiet disdain.

"Captain Arc." greeted the heavily accented voice of Colonel Mel'nikov, leader of SG-20. The greying man was the Russian Federation's envoy to Stargate Command, and a consummate professional in every aspect of this job. Plus he was a runner up for the most frightening individual Jaune had ever met. "I see you're early today."

"Yes sir." he nodded, eyes flicking at his companions; the other Russians were much friendlier, though none as much as the long gone Kozak. At the very least they smiled once in a while, one offering a discreet wave out of his leader's sight. Though he didn't get the chance to interact with that team often, he gathered that they were strict yet easygoing, causing very few problems compared to other personnel on base. Nothing like what happened when a few new Airmen tried flirting with his friends, culminating in Nora punching a few new holes in a training room wall one morning. By an odd and completely unrelated coincidence, after that day hassling from two Marines and an Air Force unit ceased entirely.

Teal'c observed the display without reacting, though Rak'nor sent a puzzled look at the newcomers. "I can assume you are here for this mission as well?"

"Yes Master Teal'c, I think so anyway." Jaune said, reining in a wince at seeing Mel'nikov giving him an unwelcoming stare. Thanks to rumors of his old posting under the VDV, he had plenty of reason to be wary of him.

The sound of a door opening put a stop to that mercifully enough. But when Jaune and his friends switched to the source, the small office at the room's far side, his unease was instead magnified. While the Jaffa didn't outwardly react, all the humans present first brought their hands up in salutes, with the younger segment of the group looking distinctly uneasy.

General Landry halted at the head of the table and errantly waved a hand. "Colonel Mel'nikov, Captain Arc. At ease."

Arms collectively lowered at the order, but nobody relaxed a bit. With his expression cooly going over his guests, he gestured at the table, locking onto Teal'c as they subsequently moved. By choice Jaune led his friends to the far side, quietly fearing retribution from Mel'nikov should he be forced to walk further. Not even Ren appeared fully anxiety free in their presence, although a tingle at the edge of his mind acted as a welcome stabilizer, no matter how little his semblance actually did.

Landry waited until everyone was seated, with Mel'nikov himself being the closest while Rak'nor took a chair at their far end, leaving JNPR alone on the table's other half. Teal'c however remained standing at his flank, arms crossed and features as blank as a statue's. Once everyone was stilled he nodded.

"Alright, I'm gonna skip the small talk and get right down to business. This isn't an exploration mission anymore boys and girls." Landry explained, quite deliberately flicking his gaze towards Jaune's team. A low sigh at his flank made him briefly squirm in his chair. "Master Teal'c came here at Doctor Jackson's request to help with a new problem, but as it turns out there's something else going on. You have the floor."

With a wave he turned towards Teal'c, who crossed his arms in front of himself.

"I am always willing to offer aid to Stargate Command, but today it is I who seek your assistance." he paused for a moment to let the words sink in, eyes roaming over the two teams exchanging looks with one another. "The Free Jaffa Nation is facing a new foe."

"What happened?" Mel'nikov bluntly questioned.

"Over the past two months five Jaffa worlds have been raided. The method of attack was identical for each one, so we believe the same party is responsible for each one. I seek your assistance in stopping them." Teal'c explained grimly.

"And by order of General O'Neill we're giving it." Landry added for him.

"Correct. However, the High Council is unaware of my presence here. They are… mistrustful, of the level of Tau'ri influence in our affairs. I wish to keep your involvement as limited, and discreet, as possible." he finished.

Jaune cleared his throat, catching Nora and Pyrrha offering covert yet encouraging looks. "What can you tell us about the attacks sir?"

"Each time has played out the same. The raiders arrived via Stargate under the cover of darkness, neutralizing any guards in their path. Their objectives have been stockpiles of naquadah, gold and technology, in particular Staff armories and cannons. They ignored food caches and jewelry, barring a handful of stolen items. I believe those were acts committed by individuals and not by orders." he duly explained, nodding towards his companion. "Rak'nor is responsible for driving them off from their latest target, he can explain their tactics in more detail."

Rak'nor inhaled slightly before speaking. "I admit it was good fortune for that. Rynthia had been attacked by Lucian pirates several times by that point, so I maintained constant readiness at all times. Yes?"

Nine heads glanced over, discovering Landry raising a brow. "Sorry, Lucians?"

"The Lucian Alliance General." Mel'nikov began. "Criminals, mercenaries, and other assorted scum who formerly operated under the radar as you Americans say. Since the fall of the Goa'uld they've become much bolder in the power vacuum, especially after they stole many warships. They have ambitions of becoming a galactic empire." he explained with audible contempt.

"We've had a couple run-ins with them sir, they're essentially bandits. They seem to like guns a lot though." Jaune offered as well, his friends nodding.

"Ah, must be in those unorganized reports I haven't sorted yet. Continue." Landry gestured without removing his frown.

"Right. When I heard from my scouts that the chappa-ai, the Stargate, was activating, I immediately sortied some Gliders based nearby, under the assumption they were Lucians after a naquadah shipment. Those cowards fled by the time the flyers arrived, but not before they attacked several of my men." Rak'nor outlined, clenching a fist.

"Fatalities?" Mel'nikov questioned flatly.

"None."

Jaune raised a brow, and when he flicked his eyes to the side he found Ren and Pyrrha doing the same. Across the table each Russian looked outright surprised at the answer.

"That is the common denominator with all these attacks, and the source of my suspicion. Their victims were knocked out, whether by Zat'nik'tel or blunt force, but all have lived." Teal'c outlined. "Were this group Lucians or rogue Tau'ri they would not hesitate to kill any Jaffa in their path. Yet instead they actively avoid taking lives."

Mel'nikov crossed his arms. "Is there anything else you can tell us?"

"Only that their raids number a dozen men or so. Their spoils haven't turned up in Lucian hands or any of our rivals, so we believe they're keeping it to themselves. Although the possibility exists they're supplying a party who wishes to hide their involvement. We simply don't know." only a barely audible change in tone alluded to his feelings, something that didn't escape their notice.

"From their last raid, we've found no distinguishing marks, no emblems, no bullet casings, nothing incriminating was left behind. And thus far, no one has discovered how they find out where to attack." Rak'nor folded his own arms unhappily.

"We cannot locate these raiders either, so we must draw them out." Teal'c nodded. "I acquired a small stockpile of naquadah and placed it on a remote Jaffa holding, it is the bait to lure them to us. I hid its transportation but I leaked its information in the process. I expect them to know its a trap, but a lightly defended one."

"And that's where you come in gentlemen. You're going to make sure these guys are captured or neutralized, and then find out everything you can." Landry commanded with a nod. "Teal'c has ultimate authority for this mission, he knows what he's doing if any of you want more intel. Colonel, you're in charge of all personnel involved on our side, including SG-25 here." he nodded towards the younger team. "SG-18 led by Captain Harris will be your heavy weapons backup, he'll be answering to you. I want everyone here to take Zats and flashbangs, it's hard to get dead bodies to talk."

Jaune cleared his throat, earning a flat nod. "Sir, if SG-18 is involved, why aren't they being briefed as well?"

"Because we don't know where these guys are gaining their intel. The SGC has had traitors before, so Teal'c insists we keep a lid on knowledge. He vouched for both your teams." Landry told him dryly, for some reason causing Mel'nikov to bristle. "Outside of this room, Walter is the only one who knows where you're going. As far as anyone is concerned, you're heading to P4X-727 to deal with some wildlife infesting an archeological dig."

"Understood General." Mel'nikov nodded slowly.

"Understood sir." Jaune tipped his head.

"Any more questions?" Landry inquired, seeing nobody take up the offer. "Good. Dismissed."

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A quiet click announced that the orange magazine was loaded, and with a reflexive nod Jaune clipped the P90 to his chest sling, making sure the safety was on out of habit. That done, he lifted his head just in time to find his teammate arming up as well.

"All good?" he asked, testing the straps without removing his gaze.

"So far." Pyrrha replied when she slung her collapsed shield onto her back clamps, her own P90 safely hooked up already. "Personally I'm excited to work alongside Jaffa again, even in such a limited capacity."

"You mean beating up someone four times your size because he laughed at you?" Jaune smirked, grabbing Crocea Mors off the table to attach to his belt rig.

She shrugged with a tiny smile, her short ponytail flopping when she sent him an aside glance. "One time. It's wasn't my fault they thought I was too weak to pick up a training staff."

"Throwing a wooden stick so hard it punched through a tree was though." he grinned fully. "And might I say your form was excellent then. Top notch performance."

"Ah, if only my old teacher could've seen that. On the other hand your own stance was quite good, laying low three Jaffa with only a tree branch. Such skills are a pleasure to see." she smiled with a curtsy, sliding Miló under Akoúo as she spoke.

"What can I say, swordsmanship is my forte." he shrugged nonchalantly, the devious grin only grew wider.

"Indeed, you've come a long way from fumbling your way through combat." she batted an eyelash.

"Just like you've gotten better at teamwork. Dare I say you're a master at tag teaming." he winked.

A loud thump jolted the duo, sending a surprised look over to discover Nora was resting her face on the nearby wall. With her arms dangling limply she brought her head up and let it smack onto the concrete again, letting out a groan which wasn't due to hitting a hard surface.

"Listening to you two flirt hurts." went her muffled response.

Ren cleared his throat from behind them, his usually stoic expression now tinged by a visible flush. "You guys do know we are on the clock."

"Okay, it's done. Promise." Jaune waved his hands, sighing in relief when Nora staggered away with a grumble. "And please tell me you… you didn't break the wall again, great." he slumped once he was finished checking.

"Upon reflection, it may be best that we stay professional even here. We can't count on Landry being as unobservant as O'Neill." Pyrrha suggested once she straightened her posture. Even so, there was no missing the displeasure ghosting over her features.

"Good idea. It'll help our team cohesion too." Ren chimed in, holding out two Zat'nik'tel filled holsters for the pair.

He sighed at his innocuous expression when he accepted. "Fine, I'm sorry for being awkward."

"Yes, thank you, now I don't have to lock you two in a broom closet." Nora rolled her shoulders, snagging a wad of C4 to stuff in her vest pocket. Meanwhile Pyrrha turned away to attach her own hip holster, unable to fully hide her disappointment.

Rolling his eyes, Jaune went over his appearance one more time. Drab olive fatigues, black vest, cap (he debated on taking a helmet for a minute, even though he hated wearing the bulky things), and fingerless gloves made up his standard ensemble. At the moment his gear consisted of his reforged sword and collapsed shield hanging on his belt, a P90 with several spare magazines for his chest, a radio above his breast pocket, holstered Zat he strapped to his right thigh, and a handful of odds and ends stuffed into his vest pockets. A final sweep found that everything was accounted for. The others were equipped the same way, with Nora slinging Maghild over her back while Ren checked his leg clamps for Stormflower's safekeeping; he wondered what became of the arm mounts he mentioned wanting to try last week.

Upon putting on her own cap, Pyrrha glanced at him askance. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, uh, just making sure everything's okay." he replied, giving the back of his neck a quick scratch. "You know Mel'nikov is a bit of a stickler for rules, I don't wanna give him a reason to chew us out. Well, more than what's already here." he corrected himself, flashing a grimace.

"Don't think Landry isn't gonna fire us for looking sloppy." Nora said loudly, checking herself over nonetheless.

"She's right, we do our jobs well and he'll have no reason to be upset." Pyrrha assured with a hopeful shrug.

"The worst that can happen is he restricts our armory options." Ren said while putting on his P90, though he spared a peek at his treasured pistols. "We can live without our old weapons. Did before anyway."

Pyrrha placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder, giving him a small smile. "It'll be fine, you'll see."

"I know, just kinda nervous is all." he sighed, snatching a few clipped papers off the table. "Everyone ready?"

"I'm good, now let's go." Nora expectantly gestured, using her weapon to point.

Before they left the armory Jaune handed over their forms to a desk bound clerk, a record of what they took for the mission. That done, he led the way in a semi dignified march through Stargate Command's halls, P90 trained on the floor while a free hand tugged at his sword. The intent was just to make sure the sharp edge didn't scrape off the walls or a stray someone (with its trinium makeup such an injury was guaranteed to be nasty), but he did it so much Ren had to clear his throat to stop him, a split second glance showing he was silently offering to help. He shook his head and returned forward.

A few personnel crossed their path during the short trek, but there was no real distractions until they entered the gate room. Maintaining his easy pace inside, he swept his eyes over the space; Mel'nikov and his team were already present of course (not that he expected otherwise), the old colonel exchanging words with Teal'c and Rak'nor, the latter having taken the chance to armor himself in the looser battle armor Free Jaffa favored, a Staff's haft resting against his bicep. A sharp contrast to their polymer bodied Kalashnikovs and a lone machine gun. Right as Jaune slowed another team entered from the far side, their uniform's camo telling him they were the Marines of SG-18, sporting a mirrored version of the Russian team's armaments.

Halting a couple body's lengths away, he heard rather than saw Ren and Nora moved to his right to see, and Pyrrha stepping out of his reach to his left, giving a wide berth. Seconds later and Mel'nikov nodded, glancing first towards the Marine team halting at his flank, and then peering towards him with quiet distaste.

"Colonel Sir." Jaune saulted, as did his friends. After a moment Mel'nikov copied him.

"Captain Arc, I trust you're…" he frowned when his gaze inevitably strayed towards the sword on his belt. "Prepared for this mission."

"Yes sir. Just give the word." he nodded to ease up.

"Do not let their appearances fool you Colonel." quipped Teal'c, his robes slightly rustling from stepping closer. "Very few warriors in the galaxy are as fearsome as those from Remnant, I can attest to that."

"I've read the reports Master Teal'c, their skills aren't in question." Mel'nikov turned away instead of continuing, heading over to converse with the others.

Jaune opened his mouth to speak with him, but right as he did so Teal'c glanced at the control room's windows. "I'm afraid I must be going. Safe travels."

Without further ado he turned and strolled away, offering not even a backwards glance. Jaune watched with a frown, hearing a grunt from Nora.

"Wonder what's going on with him?" she asked softly. Flashing lights kept him or anyone else from replying, preceding the gate's inner ring starting to spin.

Yellow lights blinked on as a warning, if a wailing alarm and the gate clanking on one chevron after another failed to alert them. Pyrrha rolled her shoulders as they formed up, Jaune taking point for his team, while SG-18 took a spot at their rear, creating a semi organized line towards the clanking Stargate. There wasn't much time to speak, the most he could do was swivel his head around to glance, finding the stone faced men staring at them, with their thirties-ish Captain giving a polite nod before he turned forward, wincing slightly at the noise level.

Of course, it wasn't loud enough for him to miss a Marine mumbling, "Look out, the jedi are here." under his breath.

He caught Ren sending a look towards Nora, who simply cracked her neck instead of turning around. Jaune sent a peek at him which showed his gratitude.

When the last chevron locked in place the usual display occured; the bloom of watery power lashed out to sink back into itself, creating a rippling pool of a stable wormhole. Not one traveler in the gate room so much as flinched at the awe inspiring sight. Mel'nikov walked to the ramp with Rak'nor at his side, sweeping his gaze over them one more time before lifting a hand overhead to swipe forward.

They were the first to disappear through the gate, steadily moving the procession up the ramp. Halfway up and tracking the last Russian disappearing, Jaune made sure Ren, Nora and Pyrrha were ready, then he strode into the glowing surface without…

..._hesitation_...

...to pop out the other side.


End file.
